ELYRIA, Ohio — A man was arrested and charged in connection with a swatting incident at an Ohio bank.
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Around 11:31 a.m. on Friday, officers with the Elyria Police Department were dispatched to a report of an armed suspect at PNC Bank on 2nd Street, according to a social media post from the department.
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Upon further investigation, the report was determined to be false, also known as “swatting.”
Over the course of the investigation, detectives identified 33-year-old Jeremy Oster as a suspect, according to the post.
Officers located a vehicle associated with Oster with assistance from the Lorain Police Department.
Lorain officers stopped the vehicle on Leavitt Road. Oster was the driver, according to the post.
Oster was interviewed by police at the scene and admitted to making the swatting call in an effort to assist a friend.
Oster was arrested and charged with swatting, a fourth-degree felony, and inducing panic, a fifth-degree felony.
He was taken to the Lorain County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond pending his first court appearance.
Officers believe Oster made the false emergency call as a diversion to distract patrol officers who were actively attempting to locate a wanted person at the time of the incident, according to the post.
“The Elyria Police Department takes these incidents seriously, as swatting not only wastes critical public safety resources but also puts citizens and officers at risk,” the post read.
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